Art of making stockings



(N0 Model.)

0. OSBORNE.

ART OF MAKING STOCKINGS. No. 398,532. Patented Feb. 26, 1889.

Ilmrnn drarns PATENT OFFICE.

()IVEX OSBORNE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA. a

ART OF MAKING STOCKINGS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 398,532, dated February 26, 1889.

Application filed Apri 6, 1888. serial No. 269,800. (No model.)

1'0 @ZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, OWEN OSBORNE, of Ph ilainvcnted a certain new and useful Improvement in the Art of IlIakinStockings, whereof the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

In said drawings, Figure 1 represents the article at the conclusion of what may be ap propriately called the first stage of my improved method; Fig. 9, the same at the conclusion of the second stage, and Fig. 3 the finished stocking.

The object of my invention is to manufacture upon an ordinary round frame a stocking whose foot portion is continuous with its leg, and which has no seam along said foot portion, such manufacture being without substantial waste of material or increase of labor.

I first knit upon a round frame the tube which is to form the leg of the stocking, of the usual di melts-ions and in the ordinary manner. I prefer to make that portion of the tube from which ultimately the heel of the stocking is to be made of extra thickness. This may be accomplished in the well-known manner by using an extra or second thread knitinto the fabric along with the main thread;

or I may make the said portion of a different color from the leg andv foot by breaking off portion of the main tube is turned or twisted v back out of the way, so as to bring the edge delphia, 1n the State of Pennsylvania, have I the thread from which the main portion of i the tube has been formed and twisting onto the on d thereof another end of yarn of different color, as is well understood. In Fig. 1,A represents such a tube, the shaded portion from It to h rctn'osonting the double fabric for the heel. i then rcmorc a portion of the lower end of the tube by cutting it upon the lines l) E, so as to form a rectangular incision. The total length of the edges of this incision--that is to say, of the lines D E is to be equal to the periphery of the foot portion of the stocking,and hen cc varies with different foot sizes.

portion as follows: From the point C to the point I) the edge of the fabric is run on loop by loop upon the needles of a smaller roundframe machine of the proper diameter. IVhen the corner D is reached, the flap F of the heel I then complete the foot 5 D E into a straight line with the other edge thereof, C D. The loops of this portion D E of the edge are then forced or jabbed onto the remaining needles of the smaller frame, so as to complete the circle of loops. The foot portion is then knit to the proper length, as indicated at G in Fig. 2, where the distortion of the edgeD E and the consequent folding and wrinkling of the heel portion F of the main tube are shown. The heel, ankle, and lower part of the leg are then cut to the proper shape and the edges of the out are united. These two operations are simultaneously performed by means of a sewing-machine and trimmer in the wellknown manner, and the toe portion is also cut to shape and sewed by the same method.

The finished product is shown in Fig. 3, where the dotted lines 0 (Z 6 indicate the line of junction between the fabrics formed by the two knitting operations, the ends of the yarn, however, bcin g removed by the ordinary method, so that the line of merging can scarcely be detectedby the eye. In this manner the formation of the usual seams along the foot, which are considered highly objectionable in this class of hosiery, is obviated.

Having thus described my invention, I claim The hereinbefore-d escribed improved art or method of making stockings, which consists of, first, knitting a tube which is to form the leg; second, cutting out a portion of the end of said tube to form an incision the length of whose edges corresponds to the periphery of th e foot port-ion; third, running the loops along said edges onto the needles of a frame of they proper diameter to form the foot portion; fourth, knitting on said foot-portion, and, fifth, cutting the tube first formed upon the proper lines to shape the heel, ankle, and lower portion of the leg and uniting the cut edges by sewing, substantially in the manner described.

OIVEN OSBORNE.

Witnesses:

GEORGE HOUSE, JAMES H. BELL. 

